[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 22, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30308-30310]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-12413]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of the Secretary
Proposed Renewal of Information Collection: Alternatives Process
in Hydropower Licensing
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Office of Environmental Policy and
Compliance, Interior.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, Office of the Secretary,
Department of the Interior announces the proposed extension of a public
information collection and seeks public comments on the provisions
thereof.
DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by July 23,
2012.
ADDRESSES: Send your written comments to Shawn Alam, Office of
Environmental Policy and Compliance, U.S. Department of the Interior,
1849 C Street NW., MS 2462-MIB, Washington, DC 20240, fax 202-208-6970,
or by electronic mail to Shawn_Alam@ios.doi.gov. Please mention that
your comments concern the Alternatives Process in Hydropower Licensing,
OMB Control Number 1094-0001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the information
[[Page 30309]]
collection request, any explanatory information and related forms,
contact Shawn Alam, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, U.S.
Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW., MS 2462-MIB, Washington,
DC 20240, phone 202-208-5465, fax 202-208-6970, or by electronic mail
to Shawn_Alam@ios.doi.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
This notice is for renewal of information collection.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR part
1320, which implement the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq., require that interested members of the public and
affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on information
collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8 (d)).
On November 14, 2005, the Departments of Agriculture, the Interior,
and Commerce published regulations at 7 CFR part 1, 43 CFR part 45, and
50 CFR part 221 to implement section 241 of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (EPAct), Public Law 109-58, which the President signed into law on
August 8, 2005. Section 241 of the EPAct adds a new section 33 to the
Federal Power Act (FPA), 16 U.S.C. 823d, that allows the license
applicant or any other party to the license proceeding to propose an
alternative to a condition or prescription that one or more of the
Departments develop for inclusion in a hydropower license issued by the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) under the FPA. This
provision requires that the Departments of Agriculture, the Interior,
and Commerce collect the information covered by 1094-0001.
Under FPA section 33, the Secretary of the Department involved must
accept the proposed alternative if the Secretary determines, based on
substantial evidence provided by a party to the license proceeding or
otherwise available to the Secretary, (a) that the alternative
condition provides for the adequate protection and utilization of the
reservation, or that the alternative prescription will be no less
protective than the fishway initially proposed by the Secretary, and
(b) that the alternative will either cost significantly less to
implement or result in improved operation of the project works for
electricity production.
In order to make this determination, the regulations require that
all of the following information be collected: (1) A description of the
alternative, in an equivalent level of detail to the Department's
preliminary condition or prescription; (2) an explanation of how the
alternative: (i) if a condition, will provide for the adequate
protection and utilization of the reservation; or (ii) if a
prescription, will be no less protective than the fishway prescribed by
the bureau; (3) an explanation of how the alternative, as compared to
the preliminary condition or prescription, will: (i) Cost significantly
less to implement; or (ii) result in improved operation of the project
works for electricity production; (4) an explanation of how the
alternative or revised alternative will affect: (i) Energy supply,
distribution, cost, and use; (ii) flood control; (iii) navigation; (iv)
water supply; (v) air quality; and (vi) other aspects of environmental
quality; and (5) specific citations to any scientific studies,
literature, and other documented information relied on to support the
proposal.
This notice of proposed renewal of an existing information
collection is being published by the Office of Environmental Policy and
Compliance, Department of the Interior, on behalf of all three
Departments and the data provided below covers anticipated responses
(alternative conditions/prescriptions and associated information) for
all three Departments.
II. Data
(1) Title: 7 CFR Part 1; 43 CFR Part 45; 50 CFR Part 221; the
Alternatives Process in Hydropower Licensing.
OMB Control Number: 1094-0001.
Current Expiration Date: September 30, 2012.
Type of Review: Information Collection Renewal.
Affected Entities: Business or for-profit entities.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 5.
Frequency of responses: Once per alternative proposed.
(2) Annual reporting and recordkeeping burden:
Total annual reporting per response: 500 hours.
Total number of estimated responses: 5.
Total annual reporting: 2,500 hours.
(3) Description of the need and use of the information: The purpose
of this information collection is to provide an opportunity for license
parties to propose an alternative condition or prescription to that
proposed by the Federal Government for inclusion in the hydropower
licensing process.
III. Request for Comments
The Departments invite comments on:
(a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the
proper performance of the functions of the agencies, including whether
the information will have practical utility;
(b) The accuracy of the agencies' estimate of the burden of the
collection of information and the validity of the methodology and
assumptions used;
(c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
(d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
respondents, including through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other collection techniques or other forms
of information technology.
``Burden'' means the total time, effort, and financial resources
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide
information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed
to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and use
technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and
verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and
disclosing and providing information; to train personnel and to be able
to respond to a collection of information, to search data sources, and
to complete and review the collection of information; and to transmit
or otherwise disclose the information.
All written comments, with names and addresses, will be available
for public inspection. If you wish us to withhold your personal
information, you must prominently state at the beginning of your
comment what personal information you want us to withhold. We will
honor your request to the extent allowable by law. If you wish to view
any comments received, you may do so by scheduling an appointment with
the Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance by calling (202) 208-
3891. A valid picture identification is required for entry into the
Department of the Interior.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid Office of Management and Budget control number.
[[Page 30310]]
Dated: May 16, 2012.
Mary Josie Blanchard,
Deputy Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2012-12413 Filed 5-21-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-79-P